Cultivating Energy for the New Year

January Reflection | Intention, Healing, and Community

Here we are at the beginning of a new year—2026. January naturally invites reflection. It’s a season of intention-setting, of gently asking ourselves how we want to feel, live, and show up in the months ahead. Rather than rushing into resolutions, I like to pause and ask a simpler, more grounding question:

What energy am I ready to release, and what energy do I want to cultivate?

Honoring the Energy of the Year Behind Me

For me, 2025 carried a lot. It began with a job layoff last January, which unexpectedly opened the door to starting my health and life coaching business, Vibrant Horizons. Along the way, my body asked for deep attention and care—I navigated three surgeries (two cataracts and one foot surgery), which meant much of the year was spent resting, healing, and recovering.

That season required patience, surrender, and trust. While there was growth and learning, it was also physically and emotionally demanding. As I step into 2026, I can feel a readiness for new, lighter energy—energy that feels expansive, engaged, and alive.

Choosing How We Engage With Life

This year, I’m looking forward to engaging with life in a new way. I feel called to connect more deeply with community—especially with like‑minded people who value kindness, authenticity, and care for one another and for our planet. I’m ready to release old baggage, loosen the grip of past stories, and consciously choose to see the cup as half full.

At the same time, I’m reminded of something important: true intention never comes from outside of ourselves. It always begins within.

When we want change, it starts internally. Not through comparison. Not through questioning whether we’re “doing life right.” Not through building walls to protect ourselves from judgment. Each of us is responsible for living our life in a way that feels aligned and meaningful. Each of us gets to blaze our own path.

There is real joy in remembering that we are allowed to create a life that reflects who we are—and to share that life with others in our own unique way.

Releasing Comparison, Embracing Uniqueness

What if, instead of comparing our paths to those of others, we could look at each person’s journey and celebrate its uniqueness?

What if difference wasn’t something to defend or explain—but something to honor?

When we release comparison, we create space for connection. When we stop measuring ourselves against others, we soften. And when we soften, we become more open—to learning, to growth, and to one another.

Simple Ways to Cultivate Healthier Energy

So how do we begin cultivating this kind of energy in our everyday lives?

Be Kind

Every single human on this planet is navigating their own lessons. Struggle is part of the human experience, even when it feels isolating. When we remember that everyone carries unseen challenges, kindness becomes a powerful form of connection. Difficult moments are just that—moments. They are not permanent. Everything is impermanent.

Practice Compassion (Including for Yourself)

Compassion helps us connect with others, but it’s just as important to extend it inward. Many of us carry an inner voice that is quick to criticize and slow to forgive. That voice doesn’t need to be silenced—but it does need to be reminded that it isn’t in charge.

Mistakes are not failures; they are invitations to learn. Growth doesn’t come from perfection—it comes from awareness.

Find and Engage With Community

Especially as we age, isolation can quietly amplify self‑doubt and negativity. Community offers something different. When we engage with others, we’re reminded that we are part of something larger than ourselves.

Each person brings their own perspective, gifts, and experiences. When a community comes together with shared values or purpose, something powerful happens. I like to think of it as a living system—each of us a vital part, working together to create meaningful change.

My Intention for 2026

As I move into this year, my intention is simple and intentional:

• To engage more fully with community

• To be kinder and more compassionate with myself

• To pause and ask whether my actions align with the kind of human I want to be

If something moves me closer to that version of myself, I’ll say yes. If it doesn’t, I’ll thank it for the awareness it brought and gently let it go.

If you’re entering this year feeling reflective, tender, hopeful, or ready for something new, know that you’re not alone. January isn’t about having everything figured out—it’s about choosing to begin with intention.

May this year meet you with clarity, connection, and the kind of energy that truly nourishes you.